• Home
• Board Members
• Membership
• Mission Statement
• Legislative
• Calendar
• Corporate Sponsor
• Optician Opti-PAC
• Classified Ads
• Optical Links
• Forms
• Convention
• Pictures

Fellow Opticians:

The Board of Dispensing Opticians Sunset Review will begin in 2008. Each department of Health is scheduled to come before a Sunset Review. During this review the comptroller will review the statutes, rules, and regulations along with fiscal responsibilities and structure to determine if the board should be scheduled to end, or sunset.

This report will be forwarded to the Joint Committee of the Government Operations Committee of the Tennessee General Assembly. This committee will schedule a time for a public hearing to decide if this board is needed to exist. The board of Dispensing Opticians is ask to speak to this committee informing them of how our board operates, and what an Optician is and does. We will explain our job duties, and that we are educated professionals caring for the eyewear needs of the Citizens of Tennessee. This is why this board should continue.

This is also the opportunity for anyone, or any group to speak against the opticians.

Stating their opinion on why this board should end. There are people and groups that WANT this board to end. We had opposition at our last Sunset Review and very possible we will again.

This opposition is what we opticians MUST be prepared for in 2008-2009.

Tennessee Opticians can NOT allow anyone to convenience this committee that we are not important to the Department of Health. We all know that our skills are important and needed. Educational skills are being taught and learned during the 3 year apprentice program and the optician degree program at Roane State Community College. The passing of our national boards ABO/NCLE as well as our state practical exam does make Tennessee Licensed Opticians educated in every area of optics. We know how to take a Ophthalmologist or Optometrist prescription and properly fit and design the best eyewear for our customers life style.

You can help in this upcoming battle to keep Tennessee a licensed state. Call your Senator and your State Representative, tell them who you are, what you do, and why you are important to health care and ask for their support.

This will also take moneys toward keeping our license. The TDOA spent over $60,000.00 toward our last Sunset Review. This is money that we all must help to raise to be ready for 2008.

Please do not wait for someone else to do this. We must have EVERY LICENSE OPTICIAN AND APPRENTICE to get involved in making these important phone calls, and your pledge moneys to this so very important cause of keeping Tennessee licensed.

I ask you How Much Is Your License Worth To You?

Most of us would answer this question as A Lot!!!

You earn the dollars you make today because you have a License.

If we loose our license at the Sunset Review we will never get them back and our incomes will change.

I Challenge All Opticians To Help

Will you send $ 50.00 each to the Opticians PAC Today?

And then do even more, send something monthly. Send $25.00 $35.00 each month what ever your budget will allow to help have the money that will be needed to assist in this Sunset Review.

Thank you to all that have already pledged your moneys and are sending your pledge in each month.

The Pac has a new address that is enclosed.

Can We All Work Together To Save One Of The Most Important Things That We Have Worked So Hard To Get And Keep?

Send your Pledges Please To:

Carol Hearn, Optician PAC Treasurer
P.O. Box 1626
Hendersonville, TN 37077


Thank You,

Kathy Hawkins, D.P. O./C.O.A. .